Ahoy there M'hearties, tis Uncle Terry here. Wogan, not George! Its time for the biggest gathering and kitch event known to man. No, not the F1 UK Open Speedweekend at Skegness, although that can be quite camp, it's Eurovision time. Boom bang-a-lations-on-a-string! And now it seems we have a Euro vision of our own from Austria...
So lets see what we presently have...
Technically, we have to classify Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man as foreign tracks, despite being under the Crown! Onchan Park, Nutts Corner and Ballymena, all tracks that we constantly play at and produce a fair amount of F2 drivers, including 2 world champions, Jimmy Murray (410) (ask your grandad) and Ian Thompson Jnr (901)
Holland has since the 1990's and the onset of the HCD, and latterly the Randall, giving us a plethora of competitive Dutch drivers, and multi champions like Toon Schut (H30) and 2005 World Champion Willie Peeters. There have been numerous tracks from the enormous Baarlo to the dirt of Sint Maarten, the Netherlands is here to stay- the following remains huge!
It's low country neighbours is having an influence too. Warneton in Belgium has been a Saloon Stock track in the past, and the travelling exploits of the Bekkers brothers are to be applauded, they even made it to Cornwall in 2009. Germany has produced a fair few drivers in it's time and Ruisbroken which has been a stomping ground of the 'worth. Peter Baer (D92) is a near regular over here, guten tag, and those who remember Rolf Stoffers (351) from the 90's. If speedway venues are going to be the ones, then home of the usual finale for the Speedway Grand Prix, Gelsenkirchen! But it's Germany's closest cousins who have caused a stir recently.
So in the spirit of anschluss, Randall Motorsport descended on the tyrols of Austria. The brainchild of Manfred Stohl, an ex Austrian rally driver, he saw the cars at the NEC, and like what he saw on the stands and in the Live Action Arena, and thought I wanna piece of that! So leaflets were taken, phonecalls exchanged and after a press junket, including a match race against a bike with the Tim Sugden (88) car, the general consensus was it was good. And then they unleashed on the Natschbach-Loipersbach audience, Dennis Middler (641), Andy Palmer (606), Allen Cooper (702), Tom Smart (744) and Simon Farrington (259). The crowd went wild was an understatement, as you can see below....
Although they might need a new fence, one that isn't in need a coat of Cuprinol. Apparently over a dozen Randalls have been ordered and it could really take off!
So where next???
France? I remember a few years ago on Eurosport at the Bercy Arena - "Stock Car Racing European Championship" on a specially constructed shale track, indoors!, no bigger than Mildenhall, and with an amount of cars on track that even Coventry would baulk at! I remember the UK team was led by Richard Hart (ex791, now heavily involved in the heritage scene) and Keith Barber was instrumental in getting it all together. It was a glorfied banger race, with first corner pile ups akin to those of bangers at Bristol in the early '90s 50 cars all in, first corner, err stop!
Of course speedway tracks are often the first places to look for potential new venues. Now seeing how big speedway is in Sweden, I am very surprised that some kind of car racing hasn't joined it. Same with Poland and the Czech Republic, the best speedway riders and tracks come there. Perhaps put Tomaz Gollob, Nicki Pedersen et al in an F2 and see if they love it.
Why stop at Europe.... we know the tractors do well over in New Zealand, and with the help of the ex-pat Alan Skayman (ex177) it looks as though some form of New Zealand form of F2 is getting underway. This group on Facebook proves that its not just Messrs Wainman and Co who might be going down under. For more news about the All Black Land go to the Facebook Group
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| Although not green and hairy, this F2 is a Kiwi! (from the NZF2 FB Group) |
So if Brisca or Randall Motorsport want me to me to publicize the sport in Ibiza, Dubai or some over hot holiday climate for a month or two on their tab, then be my guest. Sponge can do Siberia, apparently its hotter than Buxton....
And to play us out, here's the only strong Eurovision and stock car connection I can make. 2010's Eurovision Entry for the Netherlands was performed by Sienke Peeters (also known as Willie's daughter!). Unlike her dad though, she crashed out in the semis, no seeded entry in this game. Well not for the Dutch anyhows!
And that concludes the votes from the J-ho jury.
Goodnight, Vienna.....
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